KING A PLASH
t of his training rdon Elliott bucks the es not have any family hin racing. ot been a barrier to the oric career that was ver Birch winning the 2007
e had not even trained a s native country. onals have followed with kable horse is after a ve victory in the Cross
think he enjoys doing nd jumping different he cross country. r to Cheltenham for a hedges the other day
doubts about Tiger Roll as he needed surgery ne but he pleased his month’s run at Navan hed fifth to stable ng Smart. of the race very well,” showed a lot of zest, he he looked the winner at ust got tired.” en starts, including last he Festival, he is clearly ry top. hat all this chat is about horse,” said his trainer. mself by winning three a good horse and there ssure when you go with uppose if you win seven ple are inclined to talk hey?” y taken every measure to the Festival without roblems.
Dublin Racing Festival had three runs over tt. “I did not think there by going there.” the “people’s horse” Tiger Roll and the pocket-sized star will bring the house down if he can win the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase on Wednesday. A capable amateur
Elliott knows what it takes to win the Gold Cup, having scored with Don Cossack in 2016.
He says there are few similarities between the two but he believes Delta Work has all the attributes to give him another victory in the race.
“I think he is made for the Gold Cup,” said Elliott. “His style of racing will suit and so will the trip.
“He has won five or six Grade Ones and is a great little horse. “He is not a big, robust horse but he is a fair one. The one thing about him is that he stays. I love him.
“The biggest danger will probably be what
Willie Mullins runs
(Al Boum Photo was last year’s winner) as I always have great respect for his runners.
“You would have to respect Santini as well.”
He was beaten on testing ground by Envoi Allen at Fairyhouse in December and also finished fourth behind that rival in last season’s Champion Bumper at the Festival.
“He’s not run since Christmas because he has already had four runs over hurdles, and I thought another run may knock the edge off him,” said Elliott.
“He is a speed horse and the one worry I’d have is if it came up very soft.
“I am not sure he would be as effective on heavy ground as he would on good to soft.” rider before weight restricted his career in the saddle, Elliott credits his success from the time spent while working for Martin Pipe in Somerset.
Now Elliott, 41 (below) has saddled 25 Festival winners – an incredible eight coming in 2018. He was top trainer at the Festival in 2017 and 2018.
Last year he lost out to Willie Mullins but Elliott has assembled a power-packed team to regain that crown…
Is very much the fallen star after an imperious victory in the Ballymore at the 2018 Festival.
“He’s had a wind operation since Limerick and, although we were disappointed on the day, he was beaten by a good horse in Faugheen,” said Elliott.
“We had problems with him last season not scoping right, and he did not scope great after Limerick.
“He is a very hard horse to keep right. He is working well and looks great, so we will give it a go. I would prefer the ground to be on the better
side for him.”
Last year’s Pertemps Final winner attempts to make it back-to-back victories in the race.
He will be joined by who has won at Cheltenham before (2018 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate).
Elliott said: “He is a very hard horse to place as he has been running in all those good races over fences the last couple of years. He is not quite a Grade One horse so this looks the right race.” third in the Close Brothers Chase at last year’s meeting, has been pencilled in for the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate. and are also in the mix for the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase.
“If I run any horse in the Triumph, it will be said his trainer. “He won in Naas and I think he is a nice horse.”